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But it may return with new leadership in the spring

A vendor mixes kettle corn at the St. Andrews Waterfront Farmer's Market last year.

News Herald file photo

By ZACK McDONALD / The News Herald

Published: Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at 10:00 PM.

PANAMA CITY — The St. Andrews Waterfront Farmers’ Market has canceled this month’s reopening, according to event organizers.

Waterfront Markets Inc. was scheduled to open its St. Andrews Farmers’ Market on Feb. 16. However, the last chance to file for a special events permit application expired Monday at noon without a submission from the St. Andrews Farmers’ Market.

A statement released by market coordinator Ronnie Barnes said the group “regrets that it will not file a permit application with the city today under the current language of the Special Events Handbook and municipal code. ...”

“When the city chooses to update the handbook language and municipal code to provide a welcoming atmosphere for emerging businesses as well as hobbyists, both young and old, Waterfront Markets Inc. would happily consider celebrating what surely must be the greatest place on the planet to host a farmers market. Until that time, it is the decision of our Market Board not to file a Panama City permit application under the current language.”

Waterfront Markets Inc. announced it will reopen their Saturday market Feb. 16 at Grand Lagoon, where it already puts on a farmers market on Sundays.

“I wish we could have worked through the issues with Panama City, but we are very excited to be opening in two weeks at Grand Lagoon,” the release quoted Scott Barnes, president of Waterfront Markets, as saying.

The city’s 2013 special events handbook requires event organizers to submit a list of vendors at their events. The city intended to enforce a standard 1 percent business tax on merchants who set up at the farmers market — produce sellers excluded. The tax had been on the books for vendors at special events, but the city has been lax about collecting it, according to City Commissioner Mike Nichols.

PANAMA CITY — The St. Andrews Waterfront Farmers’ Market has canceled this month’s reopening, according to event organizers.

Waterfront Markets Inc. was scheduled to open its St. Andrews Farmers’ Market on Feb. 16. However, the last chance to file for a special events permit application expired Monday at noon without a submission from the St. Andrews Farmers’ Market.

A statement released by market coordinator Ronnie Barnes said the group “regrets that it will not file a permit application with the city today under the current language of the Special Events Handbook and municipal code. ...”

“When the city chooses to update the handbook language and municipal code to provide a welcoming atmosphere for emerging businesses as well as hobbyists, both young and old, Waterfront Markets Inc. would happily consider celebrating what surely must be the greatest place on the planet to host a farmers market. Until that time, it is the decision of our Market Board not to file a Panama City permit application under the current language.”

Waterfront Markets Inc. announced it will reopen their Saturday market Feb. 16 at Grand Lagoon, where it already puts on a farmers market on Sundays.

“I wish we could have worked through the issues with Panama City, but we are very excited to be opening in two weeks at Grand Lagoon,” the release quoted Scott Barnes, president of Waterfront Markets, as saying.

The city’s 2013 special events handbook requires event organizers to submit a list of vendors at their events. The city intended to enforce a standard 1 percent business tax on merchants who set up at the farmers market — produce sellers excluded. The tax had been on the books for vendors at special events, but the city has been lax about collecting it, according to City Commissioner Mike Nichols.

“Anytime we lose a business that is good for the community, we hate to lose that,” Nichols said. “We tried to compromise and for some reason we still couldn’t reach an agreement.”

Business owners in the area were confused by the decision.

“You’ve got to follow the same rules as everybody else,” said Sean Lyon, co-owner of Uncle Ernie’s Bar & Grill. “We like the market. It got people down here, milling around and it’s good for the area. … I don’t think the city was being unreasonable.”

Officials of the Historic St. Andrews Waterfront Partnership, an organization separate from Waterfront Markets Inc., agreed. Only a few hours after the announcement of the departing Waterfront Markets Inc., the Waterfront Partnership announced it would take the reigns of the St. Andrews Farmers Market some time in the spring.

“The community of St. Andrews and the Waterfront Partnership fully intend to have a market up and operational in the spring similar to the market we have had the last four or five years under the supervision of Mrs. Barnes,” said Christine Godwin, president. “If she and her group are unwilling to participate in that, we have other people who are willing to step up.”

The Waterfront Partnership will return to heading up the market and plans to comply with the city events handbook, though some codes will need to be “revisited,” Godwin said.

“We will provide the city with any information that any authority wants from us,” Godwin said. “We are transparent, we are governed by the Florida Sunshine Laws and we will be working aggressively to have a bigger and better market set up there.”